Court Puts Hold on New Rules Limiting Immigrants from Obtaining Truck Licenses

Fri Nov 14 2025 20:25:39 GMT+0200 (Eastern European Standard Time)

A federal appeals court has temporarily blocked new Transportation Department regulations that would restrict commercial driver’s licenses for immigrants.

A recent federal appeals court ruling has put a stop to the Transportation Department's new regulations that aimed to limit the ability of immigrants to obtain commercial driver’s licenses for semitrailer trucks or buses. The court found procedural flaws in how the regulations were established and noted that immigrants with such licenses involved in fatal crashes represent a negligible percentage. The decision is tied to concerns raised following tragic incidents involving drivers without proper authorization.

A federal appeals court has temporarily blocked the Transportation Department’s new regulations aimed at restricting immigrants from obtaining commercial driver’s licenses necessary to operate semitrailer trucks or buses. The ruling was announced on Thursday and directly responds to rules set forth by Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy following a fatal crash caused by an unauthorized driver in Florida.

The court highlighted that the federal government failed to adequately justify the rules, which were crafted without following the proper procedures. They pointed out that immigrants holding commercial licenses contribute negligibly to fatal crashes, comprising only about 0.2% despite being roughly 5% of all commercial driver’s license holders.

The controversy began after a truck driver made an illegal U-turn, resulting in a tragic crash in Florida that took three lives. In the wake of the accident, Duffy focused on California license issuance practices, where many immigrants reportedly held licenses past the expiration of their work permits. This led California to revoke 17,000 commercial driver’s licenses earlier this week, a significant move aimed at tightening standards.

Governor Gavin Newsom and Duffy have not yet commented on the appeals court's decision. Duffy previously indicated that California was the only state out of six where similar audits were conducted that had not complied with federal guidelines regarding commercial licenses for noncitizens.

Under the proposed regulations, only a fraction of noncitizen drivers—those on specific visa types—would be able to obtain these licenses going forward. The restrictions would allow for only approximately 10,000 out of nearly 200,000 affected noncitizen drivers to qualify under the new rules. The regulations would also demand states verify applicants' immigration status in a federal database.

Trucking industry advocates have generally supported the new measures, concerned about safety and the qualifications of drivers allowed on the roads. Duffy, amidst ongoing activities, has threatened to cut federal funding to states failing to uphold truck licensing standards.

As the legal proceedings continue, the implications of this ruling could significantly influence both public safety measures and immigration policy related to commercial driving permits.